Booking: Places are booked on a first come first served basis, via our online waiting list. Customers book a series of lessons with us on the basis of a vacant space within a pool. When re enrolling for the new term places are offered only if payment has been made by the required time.
The Company has the right to withdraw a child from swimming lessons and if this happens a partial refund of monies may be offered, this is at the discretion of the Company. Removal of child from lessons will usually be for the best interests of the child (and the rest of the children in the class), alternative options will have been discussed before a final decision is made.
Before any child joins our school aged classes for the first time, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to have ensured that their child has attended several 'family fun' swimming sessions, and/or ideally have had lessons pre school lessons with us. If a child has never been to a swimming pool our teachers' cannot be expected to 'make' a child enter the water and swim. Our teachers' will encourage the nervous/scared swimmers to join our classes but if they will not enter the water, sit on the edge of the pool or refuse to swim/move in the water we have to remove them from their class. Options will be discussed and sometimes in this instance we would suggest private one-to-one lessons or in some cases a more appropriate swim school (usually with a shallower teaching pool and different teaching methods).

Method: Bookings will be taken by telephone, online waiting list or booking system and payments will be processed (by bank transfer, cheque or cash) and recorded on a secure database. On completion of a booking online, an automatic confirmation email will be generated and sent; bookings made by telephone or waiting list will also receive an email. All bookings must be paid for at the time or booking by either bank transfer, cheque or cash. No provisional bookings will be taken under any circumstances. A minimum commitment for three whole swim terms should be considered.

Cheques payable to Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School, LBG
Sent to Rose Villa, Clos Du Beaupre, Saints Road, St Martins, GY4 6HT(Please state swimmers full name on back of cheque)

Cash by hand in an envelope with swimmers name clearly marked (handed to Natasha or hand posted to the address above-receipt can be provided if requested).

Due to the continuous progressive nature of our swimming lessons, and the variety of ability levels within each session, we will try our very best to accommodate your placement within the same timeslot; on promotion of a pupil, a space within the next Stage may not always be immediately available so class time/day may have to change. Consideration will be made to siblings and other family members, and much effort will be made to allow minimum change but we cannot guarantee specifics. Pupils will be placed and moved on an ongoing basis; Sarnia Sea Lions operates a continuous progressive policy of moves / promotions / placements of pupils.

Pool layout and class stations are designed to take into consideration the maximum amount of Ability Stages learning at the same time; not all timeslots can accommodate all Ability Stages; especially where Swim Club classes are planned, as Swim Club is an advanced stage of swimming and has specific needs in terms of pool space (i.e. lane swimming).

The Swim School will control pupil movements when required. Movement decisions are the responsibility of the teachers and ultimately the Head Teacher & Coach in agreement with the Director.

When pupils reach our Advanced Stages (e.g. Swim Club Lanes) the lessons’ format alters as these sessions require us, on occasion, to take up the full size of the pool or use a dedicated number of full lanes with upper ability levels. Sessions are normally allocated exclusive timeslots and, where possible, they are scheduled either directly before, or after, the Core Lessons Programme.

Payment Date

Relinquish Date (no later than)

Payment Block (11 weeks)

4 weeks before end of current term

...4 weeks before end of Easter Term

Spring Term (Jan-Mar/Apr)

4 weeks before end of current term

...4 weeks before end of Summer Term

Summer Term (Mar/Apr-Jul)

4 weeks before end of current term

...4 weeks before end of Christmas Term

Winter Term (Sep-Dec)

Cancellation of new bookings: If a child has not started their lesson, and a minimum of 3 weeks' advance notice is given, a refund will be given, subject to an Administration Fee of £25.00, per booking.

Any cancellation received outside of this period will be charged an administrative fee for manual handling. This cost will vary from the date of cancellation to just before payment and will be applied if the deadline has passed.

Withdrawal of your child from any future lessons is expected to be a planned process and requires 4 weeks' notice, in advance of the next payment date.

The Sarnia Sea Lions online Swimmer Relinquishment Form must be completed, no later than 4 weeks before the end of current term to avoid additional charges.

Late Payment: All lessons must be paid for in advance of the term start date or a £15.00 administration fee will be payable for each reminder sent.

Change of Time slot: For continuity it is best for your child to remain at the same time for their swimming lessons, however, we understand that from time to time the need for change may arise. Changing the time will be subject to a £15 alteration administration fee per family for moving during term time. A change in time will not be charged if you notify us in advance of you wish to move to a different time at the end of a term.

Fees: Fees are charged on a termly basis. Lessons are generally planned over a 11 to 13 week period. A minimum of 30 weeks is guaranteed per school year (i.e. 10 lessons per term). Dates for lessons may be subject to change. Lessons will be in line with school terms and will take into account the main school holiday periods. As school holidays are not the same for every school, some lessons will take place on some school holidays. Make-up lessons will only apply to lessons missed in the unlikely event of a pool closure.

Pool Closures: The Swim School hires swimming pools from various Schools / organisations and therefore is not directly responsible for pool maintenance. This means we occasionally come across problems out of our control. In the event of a closure we will attempt to contact each customer individually by email and, if short notice is given, make every attempt to text with a personal message. Closures are very rare as generally pools are well maintained. However, as with everything in life, the unusual can happen.

All parents/guardians are asked to supply an email address and mobile telephone number for quick communication purposes.

In the unusual event of a pool closure, (with the exception of closures resulting from heavy snow fall or dangerous weather conditions** and of human sickness or faeces***) we will offer an alternative date and/or venue. No refunds will be given in any circumstance. Where possible a “make- up” lesson will be offered. If a swimmer is not returning to our lessons, they will be offered a make-up lesson only and will not receive a refund. The make-up lesson can be taken anywhere in our Programme, subject to the availability of places.

** In the unusual event of classes being cancelled due to heavy snow or dangerous weather conditions, no make- up classes or credit notes will be offered.

*** In the event of human sickness and/or faeces being present in the swimming pool, resulting in the pool operator closing it for hygiene reasons, no make-up or credit notes will be offered.

Classes and Poolside Arrival: Core Programme Classes are held over a 30-minute timeslot inclusive of 5 minutes allocated for registration, rules and debrief. One-to-One and One-to-Two Classes are held over a 25/30 minute timeslot inclusive of 3 minutes allocated for registration, rules and debrief. Swim Club Lane will be allocated 35/40 minute lesson per week. Classes for Pre Schooler (with adult in pool), toddler and babies are held in 20-minute rolling time slots.

Children (and toddler, babies and adults) are only allowed to come on to poolside 5 minutes before their lesson starts (any sooner and this can distract the current swimmers doing their classes). Please sit (or advise your children to sit) on the benches on poolside so as to make way for the current swimmers to be able to vacate the pool (without too much hassle and bustle). Parents/guardians accompanying children and babies must ensure that they do not enter the water until the teacher says. They must also ensure that while classes are going on they are not allowed to wonder up and down the poolside as this is distracting for the learners in the water and also a safety risk. Please do not try to talk to your class teacher while she/he is busy teaching and likewise advise your child to sit quietly before their lesson starts.

Classes for Non-Swimmer and Pre Schooler (without adult in the pool) are held in 20-minute timeslots. Parents/guardians of children attending Pre School classes (without adult in pool) need to ensure their child/ren are ready with their swimming cap on for teacher to collect from the ‘allocated’ changing area. Late learners will not be permitted to join these classes.

Class numbers are projected target figures and are not guaranteed. If a teacher is absent, the Company reserves the right to join classes together, if considered appropriate. Whilst the Company tries to employ 100% reliable staff, obviously there are times when unavoidable sickness or accidents occur at the last minute. We would always try to put a replacement teacher in place immediately, however, if this is not manageable (due to time constraints) we would put the classes together in order to avoid the cancellation of any classes, which is not a happy outcome for anyone.

Parents/guardians must make sure your child is encouraged to go to the toilet before they come on to poolside. If and when children do require the toilet during the class, a teacher will advise you so you can meet them in the appropriate changing room toilets to help them out. Children over 6/7 years will attend toilet unaided unless advised otherwise by parents/guardians. The child should be told to walk back to their lesson seating area. Please understand that we cannot assist with taking children to the toilet due to health and safety issues.

Where possible, your child/ren must attend regularly to ensure that full benefit of the swim tuition is received.

Parents/guardians should be aware that swimming will tire out children and babies more than usual, as they have to put out a lot of energy in the water; it will also make them thirstier and hungrier than usual; it is advised that they have access to a drink of water soon after their swimming lesson, as well as a small snack. Always ensure warm and dry clothing is available for after your lessons – this is vitally important for the youngest swimmers attending and anyone that suffers particularly with the cold. The pool used for all our children and baby swimming lessons is kept at 30 degrees (or slightly warmer), however this can feel cold, if already hot from being on poolside or in a very warm car/house, etc. We have Sarnia Sea Lions merchandise that can be purchased that will ensure swimmers feel part of the Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School and keeps them warm, especially the onesies and the hoodies. https://sarniasealions.com/merchandise/

Pupils attending the 'Lane Swimming' are expected to bring a bottle of water onto poolside so as they can hydrate during their swimming lesson. They should also ensure they have a pair of short fin flippers as these also get used on an ad hoc basis.

Pupil Progression: Progression of swimmers will be at the judgment of the Teacher, and the Head Teacher & Director in accordance with the progression within the criteria written in the Sarnia Sea Lions System. Pupils will be moved during the course of lessons if they meet the skills criteria required for movement to the next Stage, and will not be deliberately held back.

Child Protection: We operate under the Swimming Teacher’s Association Child protection policy. All of our Teachers and Coaches are fully qualified by experience and/or qualifications and have been police checked. We run regular CPD related to Safeguarding and Child Protection and are fully committed to the safety of all of our pupils. Our staff are never alone with our pupils and every precaution necessary is taken. We have an up-to-date Child Protection Policy which all staff are aware of and sign their commitment to. A copy of the policy can be viewed on our website.

Photography and Filming: You will notice at our lessons that our Teachers and Coaches may make use of iPads on poolside. The Swim School use iPads during the lessons for the purpose of:

Teacher quality monitoring

Stroke and technique correction for swimmers

Taking swimming teaching to the next level by providing a modern teaching service no other swim school provides

Limited footage may be used on our social media sites for marketing purposes, but mostly it will be used by The Swim School as part of our ongoing teacher training. The iPads will be wiped on a regular basis. If there is any footage that The Swim School feels will help or endeavour to give your child the best possible teaching, then The Swim School may use it for those purposes. Please write to The Company should you not want any footage used by us or would like to be consulted prior to its use in our teaching programme.

The Company will respect your wishes should you have any misgivings about your child being filmed. Please immediately inform the Teacher/Coach on poolside if you have any concerns.

The use of all mobile phones, cameras and videoing by the public on the poolside is at the discretion of The Company, and should only capture your child. They are not to be used in the changing areas.

Teaching and Office Staff: All teaching and office staff have had Enhanced Police Disclosure checks. The company operates within an equal opportunities programme. The Company reserves the right not to offer places if it is deemed that a pupil is living with a limited physical or mental ability; our main reason for rejection would be that of unqualified staff / lack of specialist equipment.

Risk Assessment: Pupil to teacher ratios are in line with small numbers to teachers in the lower stages and increasing to higher numbers of pupils to teachers as the child moves through the programme of lessons. Numbers also reflect in the allocation of space required to enhance a child's progress.

Quality Control: Teachers will have had Police Disclosure checks and will wear appropriate uniform to perform their job of working in and out of the water. All teachers will take part in regular teacher training on various aspects of swim skills, along with CPD courses to ensure that they are up-to-date with modern methods.

Teachers are challenged regularly to respond to online learning videos to ensure that they are constantly refreshing their knowledge and skills as swimming teachers.

Usually the highest qualified swimming teacher or coach will hold a pool rescue or pool safety award in line with best practice. It is not necessary to have lifeguards available at our pools as our pupil to teacher ratios does not exceed the normal requirements for safe teaching.

Dress Code: All children should wear *eye goggles and tight fitting swim costumes / trunks. Baggy shorts / sun suites are not permitted, the reason for this is, if costumes are too loose, they cause 'drag' through the water and this distorts the feeling of movement for the pupil in the pool. Baggy shorts do not allow children to get the feel of how their body moves in the water; they also fill up with air and cause water resistance. Full body wetsuits are not permitted as they create false buoyancy skills.

In the interests of hygiene all the children should wear the Sarnia Sea Lions Swim cap (or their own) to prevent their hair trailing through the water and causing others to swallow it (or clogging of the water filters). By keeping hair off the face, less distraction is caused to the pupil during the lesson. Swim caps also keep the smaller children warmer as most body heat is lost through the head. The cap is part of the Sarnia Sea Lions Uniform as well as other merchandise available via at https://sarniasealions.com/merchandise/

Our swimming caps are available to purchase directly from the teacher on poolside (these have to be ordered in from the UK due to the specialist printing requirements not available in Guernsey), and there is (subject to available stock, silicone or material type caps in red, black or white colours). It is suggested that the younger children with a very small head wear the material type caps (often with a hair tie on hat to reduce the size of cap so it will stay on their heads, until they get older).

*eye goggles are not appropriate for toddlers and babies

Parental Responsibilities: Parents/guardians are responsible for their child/ren in the changing areas. The Company's responsibility to look after pupils begins when the children come alone onto poolside in preparation for their lesson, if they are on poolside with their parent/guardian then responsibility remains with the parent/guardian. If parents/guardians choose to leave the changing area (they must still remain in close proximity of the pool) during the course of your child/ren's lesson, we would ask that you please ensure you return at least 5 minutes before the lesson ends; children can get very distressed if parent / guardian cannot be found. Change over periods are exceptionally busy for all teachers as they must ensure the safe exit and entry of all pupils from and onto the poolside. Parents/guardians must never distract the teacher and should direct all communication via email or phone call (unless urgent). To avoid confusion try and use the same changing area each week then your child will have a routine and know where to go. Parents must remain contactable at the school during swimming lessons at all times.

Parents/guardians attempting to speak with a teacher, during the period lessons are in progress, can pose a safety issue for all pupils participating. If a teacher is distracted and takes his or her eye away from the pupils in their care anything could happen in a split second; it is unfair on staff and pupils to put teachers in this situation. All parents/guardians must remain on the premises and in close contact for emergencies and more specifically for toilet breaks or illness of their child/ren during a lesson.

Parents/guardians that attend the Sea Lion Babies, Sea Lion Tots, Sea Lion Pre-school (with adult) classes are responsible for their child/ren at all times both on the poolside (when they are required to be in the water with the pupil) and in the changing areas.

Parents/guardians, other family members and friends who are invited onto poolside to observe lessons, do so at their own risk. Ideally, the number of spectators per pupil should be limited to one on poolside (for reasons of safety), however discretion on attendance of more than one spectator on poolside per pupil will be given. Awareness of the surrounding pool area being slippery and wet should be considered by all pool users.

Under no circumstances are outdoor shoes to be worn on poolside, this is to ensure the cleanness of the pool area for all pupils. Where possible all spectators should remain seated for the whole lesson, as constant back and forth to changing areas, etc are a distraction to the teacher and pupils; with increased safety risk due to unnecessary movement around the pool area.

Under no circumstances should spectators interfere in the lesson or distract the teacher and pupils.

The Swim School reserves the right to ask spectators to leave the poolside (without explanation) should it be deemed necessary. Ordinarily, children are not permitted to spectate on poolside due to the increased risk they may pose, discretion however will be given to this, as long as they are under control of an appropriate adult and remain seated at all times.

Viewing: Parents/guardians may be permitted on poolside (see above) and you will be advised accordingly. If a particular venue does not allow this practice, we would ask that parents/guardians adhere to the rules as set out for safety and insurance purposes. When permitted on poolside, we request that all parents/guardians realise that we are dedicated to teaching the children and that the Company cannot take responsibility for parents/guardians and others sitting on poolside. Noise is a distraction and all parents/guardians must appreciate that continuous chatter is unacceptable. It is also very difficult for the teaching staff to gain full attention from their pupils if they are constantly being distracted by outside sources; progress can be affected if children are not fully able to concentrate. Customers must appreciate that most of our pool venues are school pools and are not designed for spectators, therefore parents should not demand that seating is available specifically for their use. We insist that parents/guardians comply with pool venue rules as we do not want to danger losing the hire of a pool due to parental misconduct.

For all our classes where children attend without an adult required in the pool with them, parents/guardians are able to view from the corridor doors and windows; however, on occasion you maybe invited to view from poolside.

There is often a bench (other seating) to sit on so you can have a rest while waiting. Some parents/guardians like to bring a cup of coffee with them to enjoy (in one of those flask type cups). Any small children with you and not swimming should be under constant supervision and not allowed to run around or create too much noise. There may be teachers and others etc still working within the school and we need to respect it is their school. A quiet toy or book to keep them entertained is the best option.

Lost Property: The Swim School cannot accept any responsibility for the loss or damage to clothing or personal items at any venue. In the event of a loss of property parents/guardians are advised to contact the caretaking staff at the venue directly.

Communication: We always like to encourage communication and welcome discussion and points of issue to be raised with our staff. In order to ensure that lessons are not interrupted, we would request that, if you have any questions for the teacher, you approach the Director of Swimming, who will be happy to assist by speaking with the teacher on your behalf. If necessary, the Swimming Director will arrange a suitable time for you to speak directly with the teacher concerned. Our teachers’, maybe free at the beginning or end of their teaching period (although this is not necessary your child’s specific lesson) we will happily, if available speak with you on an ad hoc basis also or as arranged. The Swimming Director will however always be the person to resolve any issues that may arise at poolside, immediate poolside issues should be conveyed through them.

Any decisions with regards to administrative or monetary concerns will need to be done away from the poolside. The Swim School uses voluntary staff who do not always know the admin. procedures.

Questions regarding the progression of pupils or behavioural issues occurring at the pool venue should be with the Swimming Director, and preferable raised before swim sessions commence or at the end of the teaching period.

Term Dates: are published on the website usually at least two terms in advance.

Notice Boards: are used to communicate to parents/guardians / swimmers from time to time and should be reviewed regularly while children are swimming.

Website blog and facebook/social media pages are also used as a forms of communication for parents/guardians /swimmers.

Office Communication: Will be offered to any customer, who wishes to discuss matters of an administrative nature such as pool closures, deferring lessons etc. In the first instance a customer should contact The Swim School on telephone number 01481 236753 or send an email suggesting suitable contact details and times for The Swim School to call or write/ email back as appropriate.

Parking: Parking is only permitted in allocated spaces at each venue. The Company has to adhere to the regulations laid down by the letting facility for each pool. Individual parking regulations and restrictions are in place for safety reasons; please help us to ensure everyone is safe and out of harm's way. Parking is normally plentiful as most venues have large play grounds / parking areas. Parking is free at all venues.

FeesSea Lion Pre Schooler (adult in pool)/Sea Lion Tots/Sea Lion Babies: Fees are charged on a termly basis. Lessons are generally planned over a 11-13 week period. A minimum of 30 weeks is guaranteed per academic year (i.e. 10 lessons per term). Dates for lessons may be subject to change. Lessons will be in line with school terms and will take into account the main school holiday periods. As school holidays are not the same for every school, some lessons will take place on some school holidays. Make-up lessons will only apply to lessons missed in the unlikely event of a pool closure. Children and babies will be accompanied by an adult at all times. The adult will be responsible for the child in both the pool and the changing areas and must comply with the safety and health regulations laid down by the teacher and the school. Siblings attending lessons, but not participating, must be accompanied by an adult. Both parents/guardians can attend the classes by prior arrangement but this cannot be guaranteed each week on account of class sizes.

Class NumbersSea Lion Pre Schooler (adult in pool)/Sea Lion Tots/Sea Lion Babies:Class numbers will vary depending on venue and pool capacity, more than one class may be scheduled in a pool running at the same time, when there is more than one class being taught at the same time the teacher ratio is normally 6-10 learners to 1 teacher. Maximum use of space will be used to run our programme and not all lessons will be afforded exclusive use of the whole pool especially when there is adequate space to run more than one class at each time slot. Currently, these classes run using the whole pool with a maximum of 12 babies or children in attendance.

Dress CodeSea Lion Pre Schooler (adult in pool)/Sea Lion Tots/Sea Lion Babies:Adequate swimwear must be worn, and children that are not properly potty trained must wear a swim nappy underneath swimwear; costumes that enhance buoyancy are not permitted (if however, you find that your baby gets particularly cold then at our discretion we may allow). Baggy shorts / sun suites are not permitted, the reason for this is, if costumes are too loose, they cause 'drag' through the water and this distorts the feeling of movement for the children / baby in the pool. Baggy shorts do not allow children to get the feel of how their body moves in the water; they also fill up with air and cause water resistance and the sun suites can actually make the children colder. Full body wetsuits are not permitted as they create false buoyancy skills. Goggles and swimming aids i.e. arm rings or bands are not permitted either. Adults are also encouraged to wear appropriate swimwear, that excludes bikinis (for risk of inappropriate exposure during activities in the pool)

In the interests of hygiene all the children should wear the Sarnia Sea Lions Swim cap (or their own) to prevent their hair trailing through the water and causing others to swallow it (or clogging of the water filters). By keeping hair off the face, less distraction is caused to the pupil during the lesson. Swim caps also keep the smaller children warmer as most body heat is lost through the head. The cap is part of the Sarnia Sea Lions Uniform as well as other merchandise available.

Our swimming caps are available to purchase directly from the teacher / helper on poolside, and there is (subject to available stock, silicone or material type caps in red, black or white colours). It is suggested that the younger children with a very small head wear the material type caps (often with a hair tie on hat to reduce the size of cap so it will stay on their heads, until they get older, often referred to as our Sarnia Sea Lion Pirates!).

Parents/guardians, in the first instance, will be encouraged to submerge and allow the child to experience water being splashed over their heads at every lesson. In line with modern teaching methods, total submersion of children is only encouraged after a period of progressive practices has been taught. Parents/guardians are asked to participate and demonstrate techniques under the guidance of the teacher / leader. Parents/guardians that do not want to get hair wet or water in their eyes are advised to wear a swimming cap and goggles. Parents/guardians in the water must advise the teacher if they are not a confident in the water (so we are aware and can help you out more if necessary). Where at all possible the same parent / guardian should attend in the pool each lesson on a regular basis to ensure continuity of learning for both child, baby and adult.

Fees Sea Lion Pre Schooler (without adult): Fees are charged on a termly basis. Lessons are generally planned over a 11-13 week period. A minimum of 30 weeks is guaranteed per academic year. (i.e. 10 lessons per term). Dates for lessons may be subject to change. Lessons will be in line with school terms and will take into account the main school holiday periods. As school holidays are not the same for every school, some lessons will take place on some school holidays. Make-up lessons will only apply to lessons missed in the unlikely event of a pool closure. Parental responsibilities as per section 42 of these terms and conditions.

Class Numbers Sea Lion Pre Schooler (without adult): Class numbers will vary depending on venue and pool capacity, more than one class may be scheduled in a pool running at the same time, when there is more than one class being taught at the same time the teacher ratio is normally 6-8 learners to 1 teacher. Maximum use of space will be used to run our programme and not all lessons will be afforded exclusive use of the whole pool especially when there is adequate space to run more than one class at each time slot.

Dress Code Sea Lion Pre Schooler (without adult): Adequate swimwear must be worn, and only children that are properly potty trained can attend these classes. Further information on what must be adhered to is noted above under ‘Dress Code’. Goggles will only be encouraged to be worn at the discretion of the swimming teacher, and usually only if they can swim 5 metres unaided and the child has had chance to practice wearing them on their forehead and moving them to their eyes, with limited amount of assistance prior to lesson attendance. The teacher will assist the children as necessary with goggles but does not want to spend the whole lesson sorting them out, so if appropriate the goggles may end up not being used during a class.

RapidLearn: Our specialist One-to-Two Holiday “RapidLearn” Lessons can be booked a week at a time, each morning, from Monday to Friday during holiday periods. One-to-Two Classes are held over a 25/30-minute timeslot, inclusive of 3 minutes allocated for registration and debrief. Fees are determined on a weekly basis of five equal payments. In the event of a booking being taken for two in a class every effort will be made to match the pupil with a similar pupil of the same ability; if a suitable match cannot be found you will receive a phone call to discuss terms.

CrashCourse: Crash Courses can be arranged from time to time. These courses are designed to run at specific times and will allow new pupils to join The Swim School during an interim period. A CrashCourse can provide specialist teaching e.g. rookie life-saving, water polo, one-to-one, stroke correction (stroke stamina for advanced pupils who have already mastered the skill only).

Incentives and Offers: The Company has the right to offer incentives to new customers which should not be directly comparable to specific circumstances. The Company will not apply discounted rates to new customers but will offer better rates to existing customers who choose to book into RapidLearn or CrashCourse courses. In the event of some classes being under subscribed the company has the right to sell a space at specific rates which may not comply with our advertised rates.

Rollover, Re-enrolment and Payments: Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information sent out by email as part of the Rollover process, this cannot be guaranteed. Inaccuracies related to a child's name, class booked and venue can be resolved by contacting The Swim School, as soon as possible.

Errors relating to payment will be subject to the following conditions:

A booking is only deemed confirmed on payment of our full published rates as displayed on our website com or in published literature, dated and distributed from time to time (not withstanding special offers as detailed below (iii)).

Where the incorrect amount is paid due to a computer error on our part, resulting in an underpayment, and where a confirmation email has been sent, a full refund will be offered and the booking will be cancelled. Alternatively, to retain the booking, the balance payment must be made within one week of being informed of the error. In the case of a computer error resulting in an overpayment, an immediate refund for the surplus to our current published rates will be repaid.

Where a special offer is in place, full compliance with the Terms and Conditions of that offer must also be adhered to. Non-compliance will invalidate the offer and the full published rate will be due.

Equipment: We supply most of the equipment to use at the pool (other than flippers, swim hats and goggles as these are personal items). Swimmers should also bring a sports water bottle so they have access to a drink during their training (this really applies to our lane swimmers) and afterwards. We also we encourage our lane swimmers to obtain short fins as they may be used in the sessions.

Changing Facilities and Toilets: Please note that the swimming changing facilities (are set up for school children) so often we use both the boys and girls changing facilities as a ‘mixed changing area’ – if there are any issues with this, there is a disable changing room/shower/toilet at the end of the corridor that can be used, as well as a lockable toilet in each changing room. Our lane swimmers should use the applicable boy/girl changing rooms. Any adult classes we may hold at the school venues will be required to use the appropriate boys and girls changing rooms!

It is recommended that you bring a baby-changing mat to use for the ‘Sea Lion Tots/Sea Lion Babies’ classes as the changing rooms are not equipped for baby changing. It is more hygienic if attendees have their own changing mats to use. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of a cleaner onsite to mop up the changing rooms after each use, so please take care as they may become slippery.

There are children and adult toilets available. Parents/guardians must make sure their child/ren is encouraged to go to the toilet before they come on to poolside. When a pupil needs the toilet during the class (under 6 yoa) we will advise you so you can meet them in the changing room toilets to help them out. Please understand that we cannot assist with taking children to the toilet due to health and safety.

Poolside Viewing – Baby/Toddler and Pre Schooler swimming classes & photo opportunitiesFor all our children attending our adult & pre-schooler, adult & toddler or adult & baby classes, as a matter of courtesy, we allow adults to observe from the poolside (by sitting on the benches around the pool area). NB No outdoor shoes allowed on poolside or food and drink). All spectators must remain seated at all times and not try and interfere with any children swimming (however tempted from the side of the pool) – the person in the water with your child is the one in charge and as such must follow all lesson instructions please – otherwise things can become difficult for everyone.

We also allow photos to be taken subject to no objections from others attending the classes. We do not allow children to be on poolside watching unless they are under very strict control and remain supervised & seated on the benches the whole time (if there are too many distractions we may have to ask for you to observe from the corridor windows, where there is normally a bench to sit on so you can have a rest while waiting).

Any children with you should be kept an eye on at all times and not left to run around too much as there may be teachers etc. working within the school while we are there. A quiet toy or book to keep them entertained is the best option.

Swimming will tire out your little ones as they have to put out a lot of energy in the water; and it will also make them more thirsty/hungry than usual; so we suggest that they have access to a drink of water soon after their swim and possibly a small snack. We do our best to tire them out so you adults can get an extra break while they are having a sleep to recover!! Always ensure warm and dry clothing is available for after your lessons – this is vital especially for the youngest swimmers attending and anyone that suffers particularly with the cold. Please note our pool is kept at 30 degrees, however this will feel colder when sat around the outside of the pool before getting in (a bit like the sea water feeling extra cold once you have been sunbathing…..!!)

Swimming Awards: All children will be assessed for swimming awards during lessons on an on-going basis with occasional official ‘badge’ assessments during lessons at ad hoc times.

A list of the swimmers achievements will be available. Generally, a pupil will complete one award per term. Please advise asap if your child has been noted down for a duplicate award so we can check.

So you can arrange for your child to have their badge & certificate please complete your details on a Badge Slip (for after school swimmers only) and pop the badge money with slip in the envelope on notice board. Please note that we take this envelope away at the end of each swimming day.

Our pre school and younger swimmers will be able to buy their awards at the last session of each term but if due to be away please complete a badge slip, as noted above. Also the Sea lion Babies may have the opportunity to buy awards at half term for the first badges achieved.

There is no obligation to buy the official STA badges and certificates (or other awards).

To save any upset children in the case they have not quite achieved the standards for their award, there are stickers that are given out as they are doing well in their swimming but just not to the standard required yet. This is to help keep them incentivised until they reach their next award level.

We present the after school swimmers with their awards at the last swim session of each term (on poolside) and parents are able to watch and take photos – check out the gallery of photos on the website to see what we mean! (also on Facebook!). We do not post certificates. If you miss the presentation session or complete a late badge slip then we ensure the certificates are available to collect from us at a later date.

There is a charge for all badges and certificates. Please do not give in badge forms without money as this is causing an administration issues. Due to wastage of certificates from wrong spellings of name and wrong badges being ordered, we purposely leave the name blank for you to complete (in case we need to swap them for you!).

Sarnia Sea Lions Swimmer Relinquishment Form In order to relinquish your child’s place in their swimming class or classes, please complete the online form, a minimum of 4 weeks before the end of the term. Upon receipt of the completed details, The Company will email you back with confirmation.

The cut-off dates for relinquishing your child’s place in our swimming classes is 4 weeks before new term commences, if this is not received charges will apply.

Please note: once you have let your place go it can be very difficult to get it back. As soon as your form is received and processed, that placement will be available for others to book and usually will be filled very quickly.